Improvement in shifting-rails for carriage-tops



tinted tant aient JOI-IN J. WALDRON, OF EAST' DURHAM, NEW YORKASSIGNO'R TO HIMSELF, TIMOTHY G. PALMER, AND HENRYBROWN.

Letters Patent No. 87,527, dated March 2, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHIFTINGRAILS FOR CARRIAGE-TOPS.

To all whom 'it ma/y concern;-

Beit known that I, J OHNJ WALDRON, of East Durham, in the county of Greene, and State of New York,

have invented and made a certain new and useful Improvement in Shifting-Rails for Carriage-Tops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

Vbeen made with a series of screws and nuts that had to be disconnected'before the top could be removed, and when removed, there were a series of projecting bolts or joints, that were unsightly and liable to catch in the clothing. In other instances, the shifting-frame has been attached to a board that is secured to the seat by screws.

' My-invention is an improvement upon the shiftingrails heretofore made, and consists of a metallic frame, with catches, that hook vinto plates let into the seat, so as to hold the parts iirmly into place, but at.the same time allow of their being easily-'disconnected when a swinging blocking-piece or bolt is withdrawn.

In the drawinga represents the bottom, b b, the ends, and c, the back ot' the seat. y

dis the elevated back rail, and c, the end rails, to

-which the carriage-top isy to be connected by the gudgeons or projecting arms f, as shown.

g g' are bars passing from the rail d to the shiftingframe h, that is of a size and shape to lit the interior of the seat, upon the bottom, a, thereof.

This shifting-frame h has hook-shaped catches t' i at the front ends, that are passed through mortises in the plates k, and hookl under the back edges of such mortises as the frame is pushed back while resting upon the seat.

The centre catch l passes through a mortise in the plate n, and catches under the same, so as to hold the top firmly in place, the plates k and n being firmly screwed or fastened to the seat a.

In order to prevent the frame h working forward on the seat, and thereby allowing the catches to become disconnected from the plates, I employ a swinging block, or bolt o, enterin,D the mortise in n after the parts are properly connected, and, by filling up the mortise, prevents the ,catch and frame moving and becoming disconnected.

A bolt, spring, or4 similar device, might be used to prevent the parts moving after the catches upon the frame h and seat have been properly connected.

By removing' this block o, the shifting-frame can be drawn forward, the catches thereby becoming disconnected, so that the carriage-top can be taken off, and

the seat itself, and the back and sides, are left without any projections or unsightly parts.

p What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The shifting-frame h, fitting the seat, and from which the bars g rise and connect to the parts carrying the carriage-top, in combination with the hooks i z' and l, and plates k and u, substantially as and for the purposes specied.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my signaf ture, this 25th day of June, A. D. 1868.

JOHN J. WALDRON. Witnesses:

' Unas. H. SMITH,

'.GEO. D. WALKER. 

